Master Code
by robspace54
Summary: Magnum gets sent to tail a top software designer, suspected of industrial espionage. What he discovers is something even he did not see coming.
1. Chapter 1

Master Code

By Robert E. Schorry

Chapter 1 – Waiting

You know, it's a funny thing; when we wait for something to happen, water to boil, a bus to pull to the curb, or a telephone call, it only seems to make time go slower. That's what was happening. I was waiting for a door to open, someone to come out, and drive away. Then I would follow.

I was crouched under a large bush waiting for a business woman to leave work. I know what you're thinking, and you might be wrong. It wasn't a divorce case. Higgins would likely tell me I was wasting my time as always, but he was wrong, this time. And I would prove it.

The woman I was waiting for was suspected by her employer of stealing company secrets. These secrets weren't on paper, in a computer, or on a chip. The secrets, I was told, were in her head, and her boss was accusing her of taking them to a competitor. Well maybe. Internal security had been monitoring her email, I was told, and nothing suspicious was found.

So her boss, Giovanni Legato, hired me to tail her. This was pretty standard work. Who was she seeing, or meeting, the usual stuff. I was waiting for her to leave the low-rise office building late tonight and go to meet someone, if she did.

But how could I prove it, if there was nothing to see? I was on the lookout for a loose idea and you know how slippery those can be.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Time and Place

In my many years as a naval officer (twice in fact) and private investigator, it was times like this that I savored. No one was chasing me, shooting at me, trying to beat me up, or, sometimes worse, browbeating me. Just me, a camera, and a thermos of coffee. The night was quiet, air was warm and breezy, and the stars were out. Jupiter was blazing away overhead and the half full moon was a few degrees from Jove. A night bird called to his mate and I heard an answer. I hoped they had a good nest.

More than twenty years after I left private business, and re-entered the US Navy, I was back; back in Hawaii that is. Higgins was just as pushy an arrogant at Robin's Nest, the estate of Robin Masters the author. I had stayed in touch with Higgins all that time, not as often as I should have, but in late 2009, Higgins called me back to O'ahu. Little did I know that I'd end up living in the guest house there; just like old times.

Higgins had an assistant now. He was an Afghan war vet named Nick Christopher. He was clearly able to run the Estate for Robin, not that Higgins would turn loose the reins. It was that old alpha male thing. The old dog didn't want to let the new puppy play in the yard. I knew that in time, he would get control, maybe in ten years or so, if I knew Jonathan Quayle Higgins III.

Oh don't get me wrong, Nick is fully capable. Anyone who ran up and down mountains and across deserts in Iraq and Afghanistan chasing bad guys has my respect. The limp and cane he carried now are nasty souvenirs of southeast Afghanistan and the medals he kept hidden said a lot too. He's a good guy. Maybe by the time he turns thirty in a year or so, I can get him to stop treating me with awe. I suppose Higgins filled his sandy-haired head with too many Magnum stories. I keep trying to get Nick back to earth. I'm no hero but sometimes I can see that glory light in the kid's eyes when he talks to me.

Nick reminds me a lot of me; the Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV from a long time ago. The me that I keep inside my head; the one that is always 35 years old. Thirty years on I am a lot wiser. At least I hope I am.

Crouching under a Hawaiian Snowbush I felt my cell phone vibrate in the belt holster. I glanced at the screen. It was a text from my girlfriend Rita. I met Rita Barzkoff early this year helping Nick catch a blackmailer, and if's safe to say that we are an item. She works as an Inspector for the US Postal Service; carries a gun and badge – a federal officer.

Rita was born on O'ahu and this is her home. She worked on the mainland for quite a while, but came back a few years ago to marry. The marriage didn't last but her residency did. She loves to run and work out, and I've been teaching her to use a surf-ski. Rita is tall, slender, and dark and when she smiles at me, sparks fly.

The text on the tiny screen read:

WHN U GET BCK? WAITN UP LUV

I was staying with Rita after getting banged up on a divorce case. Yes one of those. The ones that Higgins always warned me about. Rita and Nick saved my neck from a half-crazed gun toting blonde bombshell that time. That was another night case, like this one, although it lacks spinning the Ferrari, the one that Robin gave me, and being chased by bullets through the rain forest. Falling down a muddy hill and getting a concussion was a side affect and although the docs say I am ok now, Rita insists that I stick around at her place. I don't mind, really!

The thought of going to Rita's house was nice. I fact I was getting pretty damp from the ground and believe it or not, I wished I'd brought a jacket. Thoughts of Rita, a cold beer, and ESPN football vanished when a door opened across the way. A tall blonde woman, Nancy Clemmons – my target, closed the glass doors and locking them with some electronic keypad work, turned and walked to her car.

It was just steps to Nick's Nissan, a red Ferrari 308 being just a little conspicuous for this. Nancy got into a Ford and drove out of the parking lot. I gave her twenty seconds to drive to the street, through a guard shack and turn. I jogged to Nick's ride my back creaking as I straightened up after sitting still so long. Along with the back, my knees and neck complained too. They work but they throb sometimes. My back was almost better from the wooden splinters driven into it when a slug almost sent me to kingdom come. The knee was a little slower to heal but cartilage is that way.

Nancy Clemmons' sedan cruised down the street and the 10-year old Nissan followed. By pushing the seat back all the way I could actually fit behind the wheel. I'd promised to fill the tank and wash it when I returned it. Nick insisted that I shouldn't worry. I was glad to take care of his car considering the way that he and Rita helped me when a 38 pistol was pointed at my head a few weeks ago. Nice to have friends and to be able to pay them back. But how I could pay back the two of them for saving my life?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Just Business

My quarry's car drove slowly down the road carefully obeying the speed limit. It was one of those burnt orange crossovers – the ones that can't make up their mind if they are cars or SUVs. The next time gasoline hits 6 bucks a gallon out here the used car lots would be filled with them.

Following in Nick's car I took the time to call Rita back. She answered on the first ring. "Rita, it's me!"

"Tom? When will get home… I was thinking…"

I know what you're thinking, and you're right. But business first. "Listen, I'm still tailing my target and I don't know how long this will take."

"Well, ok. But I do have to go to work tomorrow."

"Rita go to bed and I'll wake you when I get home, alright?"

"Ok. G'night." She hung up, clearly disappointed.

I might be 65 last birthday but people think I have a few charms – at least a few do. To tell the truth, Rita should be hanging out with someone her own age, which is around 42. When Rita was in high school, I gave a talk to her school about being a Private Investigator, and that turned her on to the business. Eventually she started a career with the US Postal Service – so I'm spending time with a Fed. Many years later when we met during my investigation of Nick's blackmail case and she recognized me right away. Let's be honest, she could a lot better than me, but maybe I protest too much. I don't exactly remember her from the 80s. It was quite a few years back. But she remembers me. A little hero worship at first, but she has also seen me when I'm not at me best..

As I followed Clemmons' car I replayed the talk I'd had with her boss – Giovanni Legato.

"Mr. Magnum, come in!" he boomed waving me into his leather and chrome office. He was short, well dressed, about fifty years old with graying hair. His teeth were so white and straight they could have only come from an orthodontist. He tended to wave his arms around as he talked, part of his Italian heritage.

I took a seat on a white leather chair that must have cost a good chunk of my salary. The office looked like something from Office Beautiful magazine. Everything looked expensive. "Nice of you to see me," I started.

"No, no! Nice of you to see me! Can I offer you coffee, a soft drink, water? Anything?" Giovanni was seated behind his desk, a glass and chrome table with nothing on, just a telephone. He must keep a computer elsewhere, or more likely, has someone else to punch the keys for him.

I didn't exactly like this guy; a little overbearing. "No thank you. Now how can I help you?"

"Ah, yes, straight to the point. I like that. Here at SoftwareWorx, we try very hard to write exactly what the customer needs. We supply software to any number of corporations, universities, even cell phone conglomerates. Business has been good. But I'm getting very nervous about one of my top, really top, software planners. Her name is Nancy Clemmons."

"Software planner? You mean software writer don't you?" What I know about software would fill a small coffee cup.

"No, I said it correctly. Clemmons is one of the big picture people who can listen to a customer and write the grand plan for the software – the inputs, outputs, how the system should be coded to run on the machine it's destined for. The _Master Code_. She's one of _my_ best."

I noticed the possessive nature he used about Nancy Clemmons. "And?"

"I'm concerned that her job performance lately has been – well, poorer than I expected. Listen Magnum, I pay all my people very well, probably too much. So I expect them to give me 110% all the time. Most do, or they're gone, quickly." He snapped his fingers. "No delay. But this time…"

"This time, it's not going as planned?"

"Exactly," he sighed. "Nancy is less able to make the quick decisions that have to, _have to_ happen."

"So why did you call me? I'm no software or computer expert. Perhaps you're wasting your time calling me"

"No! Magnum – you come highly recommended. Highly! I want you to follow Nancy. I want to know who she meets, where she goes, who she eats dinner with. If she has a long chat with her hairstylist, I want to know about it."

I shook my head. "I'm not sure that a simple surveillance will help you out."

"Ok. Well you figure it out. But I really need to find out what is distracting her. My bet is that she's become a hot property and somebody is either trying to lure her away from my business, or she's turned."

"Turned?"

"Yeah." He sneered. "Turned to the other guys. I know for a fact that certain companies are paying huge bonuses for software tips – contract details, delivery schedules, important parts of the software development. Or worse."

"Worse?"

Legato marched to the window and looked over the campus-like setting around the building. "Mr. Magnum I started this enterprise thirty years ago as a geeky guy with a bad complexion, and no friends. Well I showed them!" He turned to face me. "I built this company line by line and brick by brick. The first five years I and two partners worked above a bakery, eighteen hours every day, seven days a week, to get a tiny foothold in the industry. And it worked! It all paid off. My grandfather was a poor immigrant, and dad didn't do much better. But I have succeeded where many have failed!"

Well, he wasn't shy. "So what's the worst part?"

"Espionage. That's the worst part. Buying or selling major chunks of software. That's the dirty side of this business, and I've never done it, not that I haven't been tempted." He pounded one hand into the other. "Magnum, I think that Nancy Clemmons is selling key parts of computer programs. It must be tearing her up – that's why she's seems to be… confused. And I want you to find out who she's doing business with. Otherwise, why is she so distracted?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Different Route

I took the case, after agreeing to follow her for a week. This was the third day. The first day she worked until midnight and went straight to her condo. Other than hitting Starbucks the next morning and working that was it. Day two was like the first. But tonight she left work at 10:15 and turned left, not right, out of the company parking lot.

Nancy's car was a late-model Ford, nothing classy. Considering what her salary was, it seemed funny she didn't drive a more expensive car. But maybe she was thrifty. The condo she owned was upscale enough, perched on a cliff with a distant view of the ocean. I checked the comps in the area and a condo like that was going for around 1.25 mil when she bought it ten years ago. I didn't think she drove the Ford because she couldn't afford it.

I followed her but hung back. There was not much traffic around here late on a Wednesday night. Nancy drove conservatively so I could easily let her get a block ahead, but had to be careful as this was not her usual route. Twenty minutes later she turned into a shave ice place.

Shave ice is literally that. Take a block of solid ice and shave off little slivers, almost the texture of snow, add flavoring and serve. My favorite is pineapple flavor with the ice ball stuck onto hand dipped vanilla ice cream served in a paper cone. This place was a weather-beaten shack, painted white, adorned with posters of happy kids eating cones, lit up by fluorescent strip lights and some neon script.

She pulled into the place and got out of the car. There was a small line waiting at the window. I parked off in the dark and joined her. Some giggling teenagers barged in front of us, not that I didn't mind. One of the kids was dragging along a little boy, about four years old. Cute kid with his big eyes all delighted waiting for a treat.

Nancy turned and bending down patted the little boys head. A conversation about ice cream and flavors started. Nancy's face was lit up, just talking to the little boy. Just a nice lady I thought. I couldn't see that boy and his older sister were freelance software thieves.

The line moved along, the teens went to the second order window and I found myself right behind my target. A little too close, but it shouldn't hurt.

She looked over at the kids getting their shave ice and glanced back at me. "Look at those kids. Boy, to just be so happy to have some shave ice."

I smiled. "There is nothing quite like a kid with ice cream."

Nancy's order came – the Hawaiian favorite of rainbow shave ice. She paid the clerk and left the window.

I ordered my fav and collecting it walked towards Nick's car. I walked past Nancy who was sitting at a picnic table when she spoke to me.

"Hey! Come here!" and she patted the bench next to her.

I had gotten too close. What could I do?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Breezes

So I sat next to the woman I've been following for three days.

"Good shave ice!" she laughed.

"I agree."

My tailee was tall and blonde about thirty-five, good complexion with hazel eyes. She was well built and I imagined she'd broken a few hearts along the way. She wore basic office-type clothes, slacks and a silk blouse, not much makeup, no rings; just a tiny watch.

"Nice to relax once in a while." She licked around the cone.

I stuck the flimsy plastic spoon into the icy pile and started eating. "You got rainbow."

"Uh-huh. Pineapple?"

"Yeah." This was one high brow conversation.

"I'm Nancy."

"Oh, I'm Thomas."

"Nice to meet you, Thomas."

"Likewise." More slurps followed.

"Nice night, Thomas. I really like to get outside, like tonight, and enjoy the breeze. I spend too much time cooped up in an office."

"Yeah, I hate that."

She looked me up and down in the light from the shave ice stand. "Thomas, you don't exactly look like you've spent too many years in an office."

"Well, I have, but I spend a lot of time outside now. Retired, mostly."

"Ah." She went back to eating and we spent a few minutes eating.

"But still, the air is nice tonight."

"Yeah nice breeze too."

Nancy looked overhead. "Beautiful night. The stars are out, the night is nice…" she looked me square in the eye. "You got somebody special, Thomas?"

"Yes I do. A lot of folks." Rita, Rick Wright, Theodore Calvin – just TC, Nick, even Higgins, are all special. Rita is a little more special than the rest. And Lilly too. "My daughter is in San Diego studying marine biology."

"How about you Nancy?"

"Not really. Never had the time." She asked, "Grandkids?"

I laughed. "Not yet, but someday, I guess. You? Got somebody special, right now, I mean?"

She shook her head no. "There used to be." She ate some more shave ice. "We would sit outside like this…"

I smiled encouragingly. "It is a nice night."

Nancy wiped a hand over her eyes. "But I hope soon…"

"That someone special will be back?"

Her face lit up. "Yes. Not back. That can't happen. But someone else will be here; in a while." Nancy stood. "Nice to meet you Thomas."

"Likewise."

She tossed the cup into a trash bin and came back. "Now why don't you tell me why you've been following me since Monday?"

"Me, following you? No way. You're wrong."

"Oh?" She dug in her purse and I was afraid she was going for a can of pepper spray. "So explain this, Thomas." She held out her cell phone, the screen showing a picture of me in daylight sitting in Nick's Nissan. "I shot this one today when I got out my car at work. Want to see the photo I took yesterday?"

She had me. In Chapter 8 of my book _How to be a World-Class Private Investigator_ I explain what to do if you're caught while tailing a suspect as well as how to tail someone. Most of the chapter deals with following someone, but the few paragraphs on being caught face-to-face are mostly about bluffing.

Honesty is the best policy. Mostly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Truth

Caught off guard, I couldn't do much. I couldn't run or hide, a bluff wouldn't work, and the cell phone photo proved a lot. Nancy stood there with one hand bouncing the cell phone, the other on her hip. Her face was grim in the neon light.

She pursed her lips. "Well? Thomas? Got an explanation or should I call a cop?"

So I came clean. I pulled my investigator license from my wallet and passed it to her.

She examined it closely. "Driver's license?"

I handed that over too.

She looked them over and gave them back. "Thomas, what's going on?" Her voice shook. "You want to tell me, or should I just call the cops and report that a very tall, nice and strange man has been following me?"

"Your boss asked me to follow you."

"Ah." She looked long and hard at the stars. "Did he say why?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Legato?"

"Yes. I will say that he thought you seemed distracted."

She stood up. "Well goodnight," and she started to leave, but she came back. "Ok. I'll save you some time. I'm not going to the office right away tomorrow; I have a doctor's appointment at 8:45. She's in the medical office complex on Verdin Road, the one by the traffic circle. Maybe you can sleep in tomorrow. See you there!" she said sarcastically

I watched as she left. I finished the shave ice and headed for Rita's house. It had been thoroughly demoralizing to get made so easily. I must be losing my touch. I eased into Rita's driveway and admired the bougainvillea over the door. The red flowers made a good contrast with the pale stucco of the ranch house. The windows were dark, but the porch light was on. I locked up Nick's car and went in.

I tip-toed to the bedroom to find Rita sound asleep propped up on pillows with a book by her side. The book was a mystery, I looked at the cover. It was one I read last year. I could tell her that the pool boy did it, but she'd find out in about 50 pages from the looks of the bookmark. I moved the book and turned out the light. I did the bathroom chores quietly, then peeled down to my skivvies and got into bed next to her. I closed my eyes and sleep came slowly. I was just about out when Rita stirred.

"Thomas? Hey! You're home," she murmured.

"Yeah. Goodnight, Rita." I kissed her.

She rolled over and wrapped her arms around me. "Just like that?"

"Just like what?"

"You know. 'Goodnight?' " She laughed. "Romantic."

"Been a long day. How was your day?"

"Alright. You know – work." She snuggled. "How's your back today? I had a pretty lonely time tonight, like yesterday and Monday."

"Sorry. The back is alright. Work though; this case is odd."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really." I sighed. "One of these days, Rita, I'm done with this stuff. Really! I mean it!"

"Hah! Like I believe you."

"Rita, it's almost midnight. Let it lie, ok?"

"Ok. No more work talk. What's up tomorrow?"

"More of the same, but I don't have to be anywhere until 8:30 in the morning." I was tired. "Now good night." I kissed her and rolled over.

"Thomas Sullivan Magnum, it's not that late!"

I know what you're thinking, and you might be right.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Consequences

Rita and I ate breakfast then she headed off to her office downtown. I checked my watch and got rolling, but traffic had other ideas. This was one time when not driving the Ferrari made sense. The V8 of the red monster did no like being stuck in traffic, like right now. Honolulu would benefit from commuter rail, if they ever built the thing.

I got to the Verdin Road doctor's offices at nine, but saw Nancy Clemmons' car in the lot, just as she said. This was one of those large doctor's groups that have been created in the last few years. The ENT I saw about last month's concussion was on the top floor. I sat outside until Nancy came out about 9:30. She looked a little shaky. When she saw the Nissan and me she came right over.

"Magnum?"

"Hi. Are you alright?"

"Sort of. Can I can sit down and talk awhile?" Her face was white.

"Of course. Get in." I unlocked the passenger door and she sat down but left the door open.

Nancy Clemmons looked run down. Not exactly sick, but not one hundred percent either.

"Uh, do you…" I began.

She held up a hand, cutting me off, turned to the door and barfed onto the asphalt. I put a reassuring hand on her back until the spasms stopped. "You ok?"

She dug into the purse and pulled out some tissues and a bottle of water. After wiping her mouth and taking a tiny sip, she spat the water out of the car. She turned her pale face to me forehead beaded with sweat. "Sort of," she gasped. "Just give me a minute."

I was willing to give her as much time as she needed. "Should I get some help, there's a whole building full of docs, and…"

"No, they know." She took deep breaths. "Just let me sit, ok?"

The air blew through the car and in a little while, Nancy clearly felt better. "Ok. Magnum let's go for a drive – up to my house. I'm sure you know the way."

The drive was short and I tried to make my driving smooth. She took small sips of water and it must have helped. I have succeeded as Nancy perked up by the time we got to her condo complex.

We got out in front of her building and a nice place it was. The architects took this gray modern box and perched it on a cliff. In some settings a house like this would look outlandish, but here the overhung decks and modern siding worked. Must be great to have money. The air on the cliff top was wonderful and you could see many colors from deep or shallow water over the reefs. Nancy unlocked the door onto modern furnishings with a dash of Polynesian.

Nancy took my elbow and escorted me in. "Down the hall and to the right. I'll wait on the deck."

I guess I wasn't putting the pieces together at all, until I entered the room she'd sent me to. It was a nursery. The walls were brightly painted with a crib and basinet were waiting.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Somebody

I went back down the hall and to the living room, a door was open to the seaward deck and Nancy was there, standing at the rail. I went out to her. She stood like a statue, but the breeze blew her hair and blouse highlighting her body, almost like a figurehead.

"You're pregnant."

"You are so observant, Thomas. You must have finished in the top of your med school class!" She laughed a little bit. "Yes, I'm pregnant. I told you last night somebody was coming."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks, I guess," she said sadly.

Not quite the happy event, but the yellow elephants on the crib seemed to be happy. I let the wind blow and the silence build.

Finally she spoke. "It's not quite what you think."

"Want to talk about it?"

"I guess. Magnum, you've been in love, right?"

"Sure. Lots." In fact I was probably in love with Rita right now.

"Well, then you know, I guess, the whole, swept off your feet thing. This isn't quite like at all."

"This wasn't quite planned?"

"Not quite. The dad is Tim Connelly."

"What does he think about it?"

"Not much."

Nancy sat down on a teak bench and I sat next to her and she took my hand. Nancy gulped a few times and there were some tears. "Tim worked for me. Known each other for years. Just co-workers or I thought so. There was always a little… something. But Tim and his wife, her name is Sherry, had been having problems."

The old story, I guess. "Not for me to judge, Nancy, and you don't have to say any more."

"No, I want to." She went on. "Tim and his wife had been fighting. I didn't know why then. One day, a few weeks ago, he came into work and told about this terrible argument, words, no violence; they'd had the night before. He was very upset. He was short on cash, his credit card was maxed, so I brought him up here. He spent the night."

"Just the night?"

Nancy laughed. "Not even that. After we uh… we'll he left. He told me the next day he drove around for hours; finally slept in his car in his own driveway. Sherry was frantic and was really glad he was back. That was it. Just the once time. Honest. A big mistake. I don't even know why it turned out that way."

These things happen. "So meanwhile, your boss sees you dealing with this and thinks you're getting ready to jump ship or worse."

"Yeah, I guess. Tim asked for a transfer and he got it, they needed him in the Customer Rollout Department."

"So alright, you have the baby, raise him or her and you have a family."

"Magnum you don't know everything." She went back to the railing.

"Then what are the crib and all that for?"

"Ah, you are observant, but a bit too practical."

"Me, too practical? You haven't seen my red Ferrari have you? That thing is as practical to drive out here as putting an elephant on roller skates. Me, practical? Never."

That made her laugh. "A red Ferrari."

"Yes, a 308 GTB."

"Wow! That must be fun to drive!"

"It is when it's not getting patched up like it is right now."

"Patched up?"

"Some lady didn't like me so she shot up my car. Two bullet holes."

Nancy smiled. "You do live an interesting life."

I smiled back at her. "Once in a while."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Punches

"You said that the dad, Tim Connelly, hadn't said much about it. Why not?"

Nancy looked out to sea and her shoulders slumped.

"Nancy?"

"Yeah, give me a minute." There was a long pause. "I've known I was pregnant for about six weeks. One of the wonders of modern medicine is that we find out these things pretty quickly now. I didn't know what to say to Tim and I hadn't really planned on being a mom."

"So why not tell the guy?"

"I'm coming to that." She looked long and hard at me before she went on. "Remember that little boy at the shave ice stand? That could be my son in about four years. Have you ever had things happen that just… happened? Out of the blue?"

Oh yeah I had. But I don't think she wanted to hear all that. I said simply, "Yes."

"Well, I planned on keeping the baby, Tim would never know, or least suspect. I've dated a little bit here and there, so no one really needed to know. In all the excitement, I got crazy and bought all that stuff in the other room – crib, dressing table, all that stuff, Crazy. My sister always said to roll with the punches. Me, the software lady - Master Code writer. You probably heard Legato call me that. Well my sister died a few years ago of leukemia and she never got the chance to do half of the things I have done. So who was I to not take this chance – roll with this punch?"

What she said made a lot of sense. You never know what might come up when you roll the dice. "But what about Tim?"

"Here is where it's get really squirrely. You see, Tim got killed in a car accident five weeks ago!" She was crying again.

"I didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry he's gone."

"He never knew. He was a good guy, in spite of everything." Nancy gulped a few times, wiped her face and went on. "Now about Sherry. Remember that I said Tim and Sherry had been fighting?"

"Yes. About what?"

Nancy took a deep breath and dove off that high board. "Fertility treatments. Do you have any idea how much they cost? Thousands of dollars each time. Tim had no money for a hotel that one night; that fateful night, because he was broke. Sherry and Tim had gone through several rounds of testing and trials, and nothing. Nada, zip. Their money was gone and no baby."

"I see, I think"

"I've laid it out pretty well, haven't I? You're a smart guy; you're starting to get it. Here I am," she cradled her belly, where no bulge was yet visible, "pregnant with Tim's baby. He's dead and gone. I have his kid, right here."

"Oh."

"Well put." She held her head up. "Beginning to see why I've been distracted at work? Legato can't quite figure out how his Master Code writer has a life outside the office. Well he has no idea. I haven't been working seven days a week like he expects. That's the problem. I've been trying…"

"To decide?"

"Yes." She laughed. "Magnum, you've got a daughter and I assume a wife."

"Had, past tense."

"Divorce?"

"Death." It tore me to say it aloud, even after all this time.

"Oh. Sorry, Thomas."

I grimaced a little, but turned into something less grim. "It was long ago."

Nancy gave me pitying look. "Well, when Lilly was born, you must have been really happy!"

"I didn't know about her until she was five years old." I sighed. "It's a long story…"

Nancy took three steps and sat on the couch next to me and now took my hand. "Sometime, Thomas you'll have to tell me about it."

"It's a long, long story. Maybe we can do dinner and I'll tell you." I patted her shoulder. "Now back to you and…" I waved my hand.

"My sister was a biologist. One of those egg-head cell type people. Pity that all the research couldn't save her. But you know what she studied? Of course you don't. She studied DNA - genes and all that stuff. The biology that tells our bodies how to grow, gives us different eye color, grows the cells that make our hearts beat and brains to think."

"Ok. And that means what exactly?"

Nancy laughed and her face lit up in the sun. "It's a biologic code, dummy. The Master Code! It's in all of us; every cell." She held her non-existent belly and looked down at it. "Master code." She laughed some more. "Thomas, the Master Code writer gets it. It's not about computers and software, it's about life! Biology!" She shouted it down the cliff.

"New mission now Nancy?"

"Yes, I guess so. Now the hard part."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Gifts

Legato, Nancy's boss was wrong. No espionage or skulking at night with some competitor. No jumping ship either. "I guess your boss will be happy. No spying for the other guys."

"Well, what makes him happy is more contracts and more profits. Don't get me wrong, that's what business is all about. But sometimes…"

"You have to stop and smell the roses." My friend Higgins may think that I am a goof-off, but I've been smelling roses for a long time. "Or eat shave ice?"

"Yes." Nancy excused herself and went into the other room. When she came back she seemed much happier. "I just called Legato, reminded him that I was exercising the escape clause. He wasn't happy."

"An escape clause? You'd better explain."

"Standard contract in this line of work. If you quit, you can't work in the field for a year. I have plenty of money. And Legato owes me about ten years of banked up vacation. I'm all set."

"So you uh…"

"Yes, I quit. Effective immediately. And I told him off about hiring you. I don't think he's going to be very happy paying your bill. Since you failed in the original mission."

"Gee thanks." And that dough would have gone to pay the higher insurance on my Ferrari. Wasn't the first time my business let me done. "That's ok. I knew it was a bad case when I took it."

"Thomas, don't be so glum. Here." She handed me a check. "Let me pay you for the week, at least."

The amount on the check was far higher than I needed. "Nancy, this too much. I can't take it."

"Yes you can and you will, because there are two things I need you to do for me."

"Oh?"

"Yes. One – I expect you to meet me for shave ice once in a while over the next few months and two – I need to be with me on an errand."

"And that would be?"

She took a deep breath. "It seems only fair that I owe something to Tim's widow."

I got it. "I see."

"Yes. I'm going to give Tim's baby to Sherry."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Wrap-up

The next week, I called Sherry Connelly and set up a meeting. The cover story was that there was an extra insurance policy and she had to come to an attorney's office. The attorney was a friend of Robin masters, and a little pro bono work never hurts.

I was sitting next to Nancy Clemmons when Sherry came in to the office. She was young and would look pretty again someday.

The attorney introduced all of us. Nancy of course was from SoftwareWorx, and I was introduced as a consultant. Close enough.

The attorney started droning on about legal precedents and such.

Nancy stopped him with a look. She got up, went around the table, pulled Sherry to her feet and took her into another office.

The attorney glanced over his half-glasses. "Are we done?"

"No, but I think there will be some more paper work, oh in say about seven months."

He just shook his head in bafflement.

The conference door opened and the two women came in hugging each other. I knew things would be alright.

Oh and one more thing.

Nancy Clemmons was as good as her word.

Nancy and I, and Rita too, meet for shave ice once a week. I still like pineapple. Especially because Nancy buys.

The End


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